


rest assured.

by tay_oh_three



Category: Who Killed Markiplier? (Web Series), markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Rewrite, Family, Gen, Markiplier - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Who Killed Markiplier?, Who Killed Markiplier?, celine is my queen, contains spoilers for damien, kinda???, some badass woman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-04-06 11:08:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19061410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tay_oh_three/pseuds/tay_oh_three





	rest assured.

** rest assurred. **

 

the fireplace emits a few weak embers, fighting to provide the last of its warmth. i shiver, just a little, but not from the biting cold.

_damien should be back by now_ , i thought. _what could be taking him so long?_ worry curls in my gut.

the heavy weight of exhaustion that settled on my bones suddenly felt lighter when i heard footsteps toward the cabin. i feel the corner of my mouth quirk just a little. my cheek aches.

i allow myself a sigh, watching my breath dance with the chilly air. _how long have i been here? how much of the air from my very own lungs live on in the trees of this dreary landscape?_

i close my eyes and listen to the rhythmic sound of damien chopping firewood outside. it stops, and i brace myself.

"...don't slam the door, damien," i mutter tiredly, looking up at him. i barely process his reply.

i gaze out into the forest, eyes flitting from tree to same tree, to same tree, over and over, until something damien muttered caught my attention, befuddling me.

"i saw a flower today," he said, voice warm and light, gentle at the edges. that voice gave me comfort so many times, but it worried me. “shouldn’t be long now before spring.”

“...or there’s still a few weeks of winter left and that flower will _die_ , cold and alone,” i reply bitterly.

“or… that,” damien muttered with a resigned tone. “either way, winter can’t last forever, celine. with any luck we’ll be able to get out of this cabin soon.”

i get up. “luck doesn’t keep the fire going. luck won’t change the weather, and luck definitely won’t put food on the table."

"well, i mean, if you think about it, you probably do need some luck in finding something to eat in the middle of winter out in the snow.”  i cock the gun, preparing for another hunt. damien clears his throat, trying to diffuse the tension i unintentionally had created. “good luck!”

"whatever," i mutter as i turn to the door. i almost smile, again, but the weight of my heart pulled back my frown. “try not to burn the cabin down while i’m out.”

“aye aye, captain.”

uncertainty lingers in my mind. “did you really see a flower?”

“yes, a little pink one.” i hear him mutter to himself. “silly thing, probably dead by now…”

"get some sleep.” i step out. “you look tired." i close the door.

* * *

i enter the cabin quietly, with the most careful movements.

damien's asleep. thank goodness. his face is contorted just a little, looking troubled.

i press my palm against his clammy forehead. _he's not sick, at least._ i gently smooth out the lines on his face with my thumbs. soon, he's peaceful again.

i kept the little amount of food i found, storing it in a box of ice. we should be able to eat that soon after damien wakes up.

i sit down, gazing into the forest, watching out for anything. the presence of that flower gave me a sense of dread and of comfort - all in the wrong ways. _will spring actually come, or had someone gotten here?_

i sigh.

* * *

“i saw a flower today,” damien starts. _how did that happen? again? had it always been there?_ “...shouldn’t be long now before… spring”

“or there’s still a few weeks of winter left, and that flower will die, cold and alone.” i hear him mutter something. “what are you muttering about?”

he doesn’t reply for a tense minute, setting off my worry. “i heard… a voice today.”

“what?” _how can that be?_

“i heard a voice. as clear as i’m hearing you.”

“there’s no one else in these woods, damien,” i argued, but i doubted my own words a little.

“but it sounded far away. i should have followed the voice,” _thank goodness you didn’t._ “but it trailed off. and, i had to get back with firewood. but we have plenty of firewo-” he going to start rambling, now.

“damien, there is no one else in these woods!” i reach out for the gun. “if there were, i’m sure i would’ve run into them by now.”

damien whispers. “i’m sure you would’ve run into them by now.”

“you’re not getting enough sleep. you need to sleep. are you staying up while i’m out?”

“what, no!” he says defensively. “i’m not even tired. what about you? are you tired? you’re always awake by the time i get back.” _oh i am. you have no idea..._

"i'm not a growing boy like you, little brother."

"oh please, you're older by ten minutes!" _ah… that same old argument._ i allow myself to smile, at least inwardly.

"which is just old enough for me to be in charge, so shut up and go to bed."

"that doesn’t make you in charge. how does that make you the boss of me?." _i’m starting to sound like mom, aren’t i? ...hah. would mom be proud of us, today? would she approve of this?_ my mind drones on.

“j-just…” damien sounds distressed, and i wish i could tell him i share the same sentiments. “be careful! maybe i’m crazy, but whatever i heard out in those woods, it didn’t sound too friendly. so just… be careful.”

_it’s you who should be careful, damien._ “i can take care of myself,” i say, resolute, as i slam the door shut.

i step out into the snow with a sigh, listening to my boots dig into fresh, crisp snow. it's always satisfying. i felt a bit like a child again.

i trudge on, movements slow, until i reach the forest. i listen for any sound. if someone had indeed gotten here, then… i’ll need to get back home early.

* * *

i was looking around for food when a strong sense of dread rips through me. _i need to get home now. damien... he’s in trouble._

i drop everything i had, keeping the axe on me. i run towards the cabin as quickly as i can, adrenaline taking over the ageless exhaustion deep-set in my bones.

i open the door, finding a thick vertical sheet of ice. my suspicions are confirmed. _markiplier… he’s here._

with a renewed sense of urgency, i drive the axe through the sheet until i could walk through the path i carved, axe poised to attack.

“celine,” his voice disgusted me. this poor fucking excuse of a man. “so good to see-”

my axe finds its way to his heart, and his face contorts to pain, then to manic, insane laughter. markiplier fades, but i know he never really leaves.

i walk over to damien. he doesn’t appear to be injured anywhere, but he’s in shock.

“i… i have no idea what just happened.”

“are you alright?” i ask him. i want to pull him into an embrace, but it seems crowding him would be a bad idea in his current state.

“no, i’m not alright. i’ve never been less alright!” i could feel my heart shatter at how he sounded. “you need to explain to me what the hell is going on!”

he’s furious, i know, but... “there is no time to explain!”

“why does everyone keep telling me that?” i turn to him, confused. his anger was deep-rooted and for once, i realize, i’m listening. “i spent god-knows-how-long chopping down trees with nothing but time on my side and now suddenly there’s no time! i’m so sick of being a pawn in other people’s games…”

he pauses, and looks at me with pleading eyes, reaching out. “just give me a straight answer, for once. celine… am i… am i dea-” realizing what he was about to say, i cut him off.

“no!” the ice cracks as i raised my voice. “no…” i turn to the sheet of ice. water starts to seep out.

“celine…”

“i’m so… tired,” i admit. “everything i’ve done, i’ve done to protect you. but i was too late, too careless, too sloppy. he’s undone everything now.” i pause, turning back to him. “...but he hasn’t won yet.”

“celine, you can’t keep this up,” damien says, voice gentle and laced with concern.

_i know._ “shut up! you have no idea what i’m capable of.”

“let me help you!” he bawled out. my resolve falters, just for a little, but i’m not backing down.

“i remember now," he says softly. "i remember what he did. what we did.”

i shake my head. “damien, you have no idea what’s really going on here.”

“you’re right. i… haven’t got a clue. but i know that even you can’t protect me forever.” _why are you so stubborn?_

the ice cracks more, making the water flow into the space faster. “it’s…. it’s not just about protecting you.” i sigh. “everything’s different now. the mistakes i’ve made, th-the people i’ve used! the things i’ve had to do to keep you alive!” i feel the corners of my eyes prickle.

“celine…” damien places a hand on my shoulder. “some things just can’t be fixed, and i’m okay with that.” _but?_ “but if you let me help you then maybe, together, we can start to set things right.”

there was a short pause.

"you look tired," damien started. the way he said it made the last of my doubt fade. the weight on my bones began to feel a lot lighter. "i think you need to get some sleep."

i smile bitterly. "i… can't remember the last time i slept."

he smiles, and it's comforting, despite our circumstances. "don't worry. i'll protect you." and never once will i doubt his words. the ice breaks more. i shift in place, trying to rid my feet of the cold. i look up at damien.

"you can't come back from this. it will change you, forever," i say in a final attempt to sway him. his determination is grounding. i know his mind is made up, but i'm still torn between letting him make a choice, and keeping him safe.

"well, he did say he wanted me to be the villain. maybe he should be more careful of his wishes." i feel my heart swell with pride and my worry washes away. it's a welcome feeling.

"then, just promise me one thing."

"anything."

"make sure that bastard stays dead."

it all happens too fast. the ice breaks. the house floods. my senses numb.

_is it too late to apologize when this is over? i want to play out with damien in the snow, like we're kids again. can we do that, together? when this is over, can we still-?_

damien's calm thoughts washed over my own, smoothing down the jagged edges of my worry.

_it’s not too late. of course we can, but you should just rest, for now.  
_

we smile. it feels a lot lighter. it feels _right._

i close my eyes, for once accepting of the darkness.


End file.
